Food packaging providing extended shelf-life

ABSTRACT

Packaging to increase the shelf-life of food products, particularly fresh meat and produce products such as fresh fruit. The packaging of the present disclosure includes a conventional tray pack, a separate carrier for one or more preservatives, and a wrapping material. In an exemplary embodiment the separate carrier is an inert sheet coated or impregnated with one or more naturally occurring preservative(s). In another embodiment, the separate carrier is a removable food product tray. In a further embodiment, the carrier is in the form of both an inert sheet and a product tray in the packaging. Optionally an absorbent food sheet or pad can be included. Additionally, a carrier having the preservative(s) is disclosed that may be sold separately as a food packaging insert for use in the aforementioned packaging. A product tray is also disclosed that may be offered and sold separately for use in said packaging, optionally coated with the one or more perservative(s).

FIELD OF THE INVENTION

The present invention relates to a fresh food packaging of the type used to contain and display fresh food products, in particular fresh meat and produce products, providing enhanced shelf-life for the product.

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION

It is known to package fresh food products, in particular meat such as beef, poultry, pork and seafood, and fresh produce in individual packages comprising a tray in which the product is placed and a transparent outer plastic wrapping covering the product and surrounding the tray to complete the package.

Various absorbent pads have been proposed to be included within the aforementioned package to extend the shelf-life of a fresh food product to be packaged therein. For example, U.S. Pat. No. 4,275,811 and U.S. Pat. No. 4,321,997 to Miller disclose one form of an absorbent pad intended to extend shelf-life of food products in the aforementioned package. The absorbent pad comprises an upper liquid impermeable plastic sheet and a perforated lower plastic sheet with an absorbent mat placed therebetween. The pad is intended to be placed in the package on the tray, the meat product resting on the pad. Liquid exuded from the food product is intended to be absorbed by the pad through the perforations in the lower sheet. In this manner, the liquid is held out of contact from the food product, thereby reducing contamination of the food product and improving its appearance and shelf-life.

While packaging of this type having pads placed therein have served to improve the product shelf-life somewhat, there remains a need for further improved, longer shelf-life for the fresh food products to be packaged.

SUMMARY

The packaging of the present disclosure has been found to increase the shelf-life of food products, particularly fresh meat and produce products such as fresh fruit, beyond that provided by the aforementioned packaging by incorporating a separate carrier for one or more food preservatives in the packaging.

In one form, the packaging of the present disclosure includes a tray pack, a separate carrier for one or more preservatives, and a wrapping material. In one embodiment the separate carrier is an inert sheet coated or impregnated with the preservative(s). It is then intended that the carrier be placed on the upper surface of the tray pack, the food product placed on the carrier having the preservative(s) and the wrapping material placed around the tray pack and food product.

An exemplary preservative is a natural preservative, for example, a naturally occurring acid such as citric acid or a salt thereof such as sodium citrate.

Optionally an absorbent food sheet or pad can be included. If included, the absorbent sheet or pad can be placed on the upper surface of the tray pack, the carrier having the preservative(s) placed on top of the absorbent pad or sheet, the food product placed on top of the carrier, and the wrapping material placed around the tray pack and the food product.

In a further embodiment, a separate carrier in the packaging is in the form of a perforated product tray coated or impregnated with the preservative(s) for placement on the upper surface of the tray pack of the packaging. The product tray includes spacing members for separating its product carrying surface above and apart from the upper surface of the tray pack, allowing liquid exudate from the food product to collect on the tray pack, below the product tray in a manner such that the food product is separated from and is not in contact with the exudate. The product tray is removable from the package, allowing the food product placed thereon to be removed from the package without having to touch the food product. The product tray being perforated further allows for the food product to be easily and conveniently rinsed prior to preparation and cooking, for example, by placing it and the food product under a water faucet or in the case of seafood in a cold water bath.

The product tray can be included with the aforementioned inert carrier sheet in the food packaging and, optionally, further including an absorbent sheet or pad. The product tray may also be included in the packaging without being coated or impregnated with one or more preservatives.

The components of the packaging of the present disclosure can be provided together or offered separately. Thus, in yet a further embodiment a packaging insert is provided in the form of either or both a carrier sheet or a food product tray having one or more food preservatives for use in packaging for food products. For example, the carrier sheet having the preservative(s) may be offered and sold separately as a food packaging insert for use in packaging including a tray pack and optionally an absorbent food sheet or pad. The product tray may also be offered and sold separately, with or without preservative(s), or together with the other packaging components.

It can be seen, therefore, that a method for packaging a fresh food product is also provided in which the packaging of the present disclosure is used to package and display the fresh food product, providing extended shelf-life for the food product and/or additional convenience in handling the food product.

Other packaging systems, devices, features and advantages of the disclosed packaging will be or become apparent to one with skill in the art upon examination of the following drawings and detailed description. It is intended that all additional systems, devices, features, and advantages be included within this description, be within the scope of the present invention, and be protected by the accompanying claims.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

Many aspects of the disclosed packaging can be better understood with reference to the attached drawings, FIGS. 1-4. The components in the drawings are not necessarily to scale, emphasis instead being placed upon clearly illustrating the principles of the present invention. Moreover, in the drawings, like reference numerals do not need corresponding parts throughout the several views.

FIG. 1 is a top view of the packaging of the present disclosure including both a carrier having a food preservative and a perforated product tray.

FIG. 2 is a top perspective view of the product tray of FIG. 1.

FIG. 3 is a bottom perspective view of the product tray of FIG. 1.

FIG. 4 is an exploded side elevational view of the packaging of FIG. 1.

DESCRIPTION OF THE EXEMPLARY EMBODIMENT

Referring more specifically to the drawings in which like reference numerals refer to like elements throughout the several views, an exemplary embodiment of the packaging of the present disclosure is illustrated in FIGS. 1-4. Referring to FIGS. 1 and 4, the packaging includes a conventional tray pack 1 and additionally a separate carrier coated or impregnated with one or more preservatives, in the form of an inert carrier sheet 5 or a product tray 7 or both. Optionally, an absorbent sheet or pad 3 may be included. An overwrap (not shown) completes the packaging.

The tray pack 1 has a bottom wall 11, side walls 13, and end walls 15 and is shaped to provide an interior space for receiving a fresh food product 9. The tray pack 1 can be formed of any material suitable for packaging food products. Such materials include expanded polystyrene, blown polyvinyl chloride (PVC) molded pulp and other formable materials compatible with the food product to be contained within the packaging. In an exemplary embodiment, the tray pack 1 is made of thermoformed polypropylene, such as those offered by Sealed Air Corporation under the trademark CRYOVAC®Wrap.it.

The optional absorbent food sheet or pad 3 can be any of the various absorbent food sheets or pads conventionally available. Examples include those disclosed in U.S. Pat. No. 4,275,811, U.S. Pat. No. 4,321,997 and U.S. Pat. No. 5,176,930, which are incorporated herein by reference as if fully set forth.

In one form the separate carrier is in the form of a carrier sheet 5 and can be made of any material compatible with the food products intended to be contained in food packaging. Additionally, it is desirable that the carrier material be non-reactive with the preservative(s) it carries. In an exemplary embodiment, the carrier sheet 5 is made of polystyrene film or non-woven polypropylene sheet material.

Carrier sheet 5 is coated or impregnated with one or more preservatives. Exemplary preservatives are naturally occurring preservatives that serve to maintain a desired pH level within the package. We have found that, by maintaining the pH level of the food product at or below 6.9, the growth and migration of pathogens, such as bacteria, that cause decomposure of, for example, fresh meat and produce products, is inhibited. Thus product shelf-life is extended beyond that provided by conventional packaging that does not include our sheet coated with the preservative.

In an exemplary embodiment the carrier sheet 5 is a four mil polystyrene sheet coated with one or more natural preservatives. Suitable natural preservatives include naturally occurring acids such as citric acid and acetic acid, salts thereof such as sodium citrate and phosphoric acetate, anhydride forms thereof, and mixtures of such acids, salts and/or anhydride forms. For many products citric acid may be preferred over acetic acid because of its more pleasing taste and odor. Phosphoric acetate can be used as a preservative either in place of citric acid or in addition to citric acid. The natural preservative(s) can be applied to or coated on the carrier sheet 5 in the form of a composition including one or more naturally occurring acids or salts thereof and an oxidation reduction agent compatible with the preservative(s). The natural preservative(s) can be in the form of a paste, gel, powder, liquid or solid. When in the form of a paste, gel or liquid a vehicle (such as water) can be included. In one form, the preservative is a dried mixture of citric acid, distilled water and a yellow dye applied as a coating on carrier sheet 5. One or more non-naturally occurring preservatives can be included with the natural perservative(s).

In another form the carrier is a product tray 7 included within the packaging of the present disclosure that may be included with our without the carrier sheet 5. Product tray 7 provides a convenient means for removing the food product 9 from the packaging and rinsing the food product prior to preparation. It also provides a means for placing the food product 9 spaced apart from and above the upper surface of the tray pack 1. In this manner, liquid that exudes from the food product 9, in particular a meat product, can drip to the bottom of the tray pack 1 without the product coming in contact with the liquid exudate that collects. If an absorbent food sheet or pad 3 is present, product tray 7 also keeps the pad 3 from sticking to the food product, allowing the food product 9 to be removed from the tray pack 1 without the pad 3 annoyingly sticking to the food product.

The product tray 7 may also be made of any material suitable for use with food products such as meat. Suitable materials include expanded polystyrene, blown polyvinyl chloride (PVC), and molded pulp. In an exemplary embodiment the tray is made of thermoformed polypropylene, as well as the tray pack 1. Further, the product tray 7 may or may not be coated or impregnated with the aforementioned preservative(s) and made of a material that is inert or non-reactive with the preservative(s).

In an exemplary embodiment, as illustrated in FIGS. 2 and 3, product tray 7 is a perforated generally planar structure optionally having opposed thumb tabs 71. Product tray 7 has a flat, planar, rectangular, perforated upper food product carrying surface 72, though its upper surface could also be concave, for example, to better hold the food product in place. Further, its surface 72 need not be rectangular. Its surface 72 can be another shape, such as square, oval or elliptical. As illustrated, the perforations provide square shaped openings 73. The square shaped openings 73 form longitudinal and transverse strips 74. One skilled in the art would recognize that the openings need not be square and that any other opening shape may be suitable. The openings 73 allow liquid that exudes from the product 9 to fall through the product tray 7 and collect on the tray pack 1, or if an absorbent sheet or pad 3 is present to be absorbed by it, below and separate from the product 9. The openings 73 also allow for rinsing of the product 9 after being removed from the packaging while still carried by the product tray 7. The product tray has a thickness 75 sufficient to provide adequate support for the food product.

In a further exemplary form, product tray 7 has a bottom surface 76 that includes spacing members 77, 78, such that when the product tray 7 is placed in the packaging the spacing members 77, 78 serve to separate the food product carrying surface 72 of the product tray 7 from the upper surface of the tray pack 1, and if present from the upper surface of absorbent food sheet or pad 3. Exemplary spacing members include feet 77 and/or transverse (shown) or longitudinal (not shown) ridges 78 running along the bottom surface 76 of the product tray. One skilled in the art would readily recognize that other forms of spacing members may be used either in place of or in conjunction with feet 77 and ridges 78, such as pillars or posts.

The wrapping material (not shown) for the packaging can be any conventionally used and available overwrap. An example is Cryovac BDF-2001 film that is a multi-layered, coextruded polyolefin shrink film with good aroma and oxygen barrier properties, offered by Sealed Air Corporation, Duncan, S.C. If desired, the overwrap can be a clear plastic film allowing the food product to be seen and displayed in the packaging.

In practice, food products can be packaged in the present food packaging in a number of ways. For example, a carrier sheet 5 having one or more preservatives may be placed on the upper surface of the tray pack 1, the food product 9 placed on top of the carrier sheet 5 and the packaging finished by wrapping a wrapping material, such as the aforementioned overwrap, over the food product, around and underneath the tray pack. Optionally, such packaging may include an absorbent food sheet or pad 3 placed either between tray pack 1 and carrier sheet 5, or on top of carrier sheet 5 between carrier sheet 5 and the food product 9. If carrier sheet 5 is coated, as opposed to impregnated, with one or more preservatives, preferably the preservative coating is placed on the surface of the carrier facing food product 9. In another form, the packaging consists of product tray 7 placed on the upper surface of tray pack 1 with the food product 9 placed on top of product tray 7, finished as before with a wrapping material or overwrap. Alternatively, such packaging may include one or both of carrier sheet 5 having one or more preservatives and an absorbent food sheet or pad 3. If present, carrier sheet 5 or pad 3 may be placed between tray pack 1 and product tray 7.

It can be seen from the above description that a packaging system is provided for extending the shelf-life of fresh food products such as fresh meat and produce. A food packaging insert in the form of a carrier having one or more preservatives for extending the shelf-life of fresh food products is provided for use in conventional food packaging. Additionally, a food product tray for use in conventional food packaging is provided.

It should be emphasized that the above-described embodiments of the present packaging apparatus, particularly, any “preferred” embodiments, are merely possible examples of implementations, merely set forth for a clear understanding of the principles of the invention. Many variations and modifications may be made to the above-described embodiment(s) without departing substantially from the spirit and principles of the invention. All such modifications and variations are intended to be included herein within the scope of this disclosure and protected by the following claims. 

1. Packaging for a food product, comprising: a tray pack; a separate carrier for one or more preservatives for the food product; and a packaging overwrap material.
 2. The packaging of claim 1, wherein the carrier is a sheet of material coated or impregnated with the one or more preservatives, the material being non-reactive with the one or more preservatives.
 3. The packaging of claim 2, wherein the sheet of material is selected from the group of polystyrene, blown polyvinyl chloride, molded pulp and polypropylene.
 4. The packaging of claim 2, wherein the preservatives are selected from naturally occurring food preservatives that serve to maintain a pH level of a food product to be packaged in the packaging at or below 6.9.
 5. The packaging of claim 4, wherein the preservatives are selected from naturally occurring acids.
 6. The packaging of claim 5, wherein the preservatives are selected from one or more of citric acid, acetic acid, salts thereof, anhydride forms thereof, mixtures of such acids, salts and anhydride forms, and phosphoric acetate.
 7. The packaging of claim 1, wherein the separate carrier is in the form of a separate and removable food product tray.
 8. The packaging of claim 7, wherein the product tray has a perforated food product carrying surface and spacing members for separating the food product carrying surface from the tray pack.
 9. The packaging of claim 1, further including an absorbent sheet or pad for absorbing liquid exuding from the food product.
 10. The packaging of claim 2, further including a food product tray having a perforated food product carrying surface and spacing members for separating the food product carrying surface from the tray pack.
 11. The packaging of claim 10, further including an absorbent sheet or pad for absorbing liquid exuding from the food product.
 12. A carrier for one or more food preservatives for use as an insert to food packaging including a food product, the carrier comprising a sheet of material having the one or more food preservatives, the material being non-reactive to the one or more preservatives, the one or more preservatives including a naturally occurring food preservative that serves to maintain the pH level of a food product packaged therein at or below 6.9.
 13. The carrier of claim 12, wherein the naturally occurring food preservative is selected from naturally occurring acids.
 14. The carrier of claim 13, wherein the naturally occurring food preservative is selected from one or more of citric acid, acetic acid, salts thereof, anhydride forms thereof, mixtures of such acids, salts and anhydride forms, and phosphoric acetate.
 15. A food product tray for use in food packaging, the food product tray having a perforated food product carrying surface and spacing members for separating the food product carrying surface from the tray pack.
 16. The food product tray of claim 14, wherein the food product carrying surface has a concave shape for retaining the food product.
 17. The food product tray of claim 15, further coated or impregnated with one or more preservatives.
 18. The food product tray of claim 17, including at least one preservative that is a naturally occurring food preservative that serves to maintain a pH level of the food product at or below 6.9.
 19. The food product tray of claim 18, wherein the preservatives are selected from naturally occurring acids.
 20. The food product tray of claim 19, wherein the preservatives are selected from one or more of citric acid, acetic acid, salts thereof, anhydride forms thereof, mixtures of such acids, salts and anhydride forms, and phosphoric acetate. 